Stealth Camping in Abandoned WW2 Machine Gun Pillbox

Join me on a stealth camping overnight in an abandoned ww2 bunker or hardened field defence. We explore the concrete defences, and cook Spanish Military MRE's and then I spend the night alone in one of them. Over 28,000 of these concrete pillboxes were built in Britain in 1940 but now around 6,500 remain and almost all of them are abandoned and derelict bunkers. They were built as part of the british anti-invasion preparations of world war two.
Renovating the WW2 Bunker in my Garden: • Renovating the Abandon...
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#ww2 #abandonedbunker #abandoned #bunker #stealthcamping

[@TAOutdoors]

I've made a playlist for the WW2 videos for you guys to check back in on when I add more to it: kzbin.info/aero/PLxnadpeGdTxCjzM8ijvkW02wly3O7YUl4 - I've now added some more gear to my WW2 setup, and will be continuing those videos again really soon, as well as some bushcraft camping overnights! Cheers for watching folks - Mike

[@sgt-bald-pigeongaming8996]

We will always support you and your channel Mike

[@brendaf3132]

The information about the bunkers and the fox hole was very interesting. My dad was in the US Army and stationed in Hawaii. He was injured during the Japanese attack on December 7th 1941. He survived but was in bad shape so his Army career was over.

[@clovermark39]

You’re Dad is a legend. So funny. Hope he doesn’t get into trouble bringing the best glassware and stuff. Love watching your adventures. We will remember them, proud to have served.

[@CharlesMarlow1898]

@irlan hakim Beep boop!

[@CharlesMarlow1898]

@irlan hakim Beep boop boo!

[@snook1249]

Those pill boxes are part of one of the stop lines where the army would hold the invasion so forces could retreat and regroup on Exmoor and Dartmoor. Please look after your dad, he is a national treasure.

[@j.k.photography3664]

I agree Graeme is anational treasure.

[@bbranett2188]

International, we love him in the states. TA Fishing is a great channel. I have subbed twice.

[@luixzzzz]

Hello my family live in Somerset and there is 3 surrounding very big hills and there is round bunkers there it isn’t deep you litlery walk down 4 steps and it’s like a round bunker but also there is a half down stone walls which was a square at one point also there is old water pump houses there.also when my family first moved there there was a big gun mount thing where you mount machine guns like where you sit on it and spin around but it’s on a very big hill any ideas what it would have been used for ? I think it could almost have been a mini camp as Sherborne got bombed in the war and it isn’t far from there seems you know the area

[@thompsonevergreen8006]

Look after your dad he was brainwashed and now he's a murderer

[@5regimientodelineadecorona579]

@@thompsonevergreen8006 What?

[@james6495]

I lost my dad as a teenager. Cherish these moments Mike! Plus your dad is the most awesome dad ever!

[@festungmittlewesten3108]

Your father reminds me of my own grandfather. Hard working, honest men good with their hands and of good character putting their kin above all else are a blessing in trying times.

[@frontiersmandavis1857]

Amen to that. My grandfather was the same way. He inspired me.

[@RLU-wt8vi]

I guessed those gun flaps also served to block light at night if they needed their torches (flashlights). Could somebody decide to take over one of those pill boxes? As in give it a thorough cleaning, solid door, wood stove etc, and use it as a survival shelter? Thanks, Mike for giving us (USA) a deeper appreciation for your history and what our soldiers had to tolerate. Thank your dad for his service. :)

[@TAOutdoors]

Got more films to make with regards to these so keep an eye out! But yes I agree, definitely think the flaps were used to shut out light as they are fairly dark even in bright daylight.

[@crbielert]

@@TAOutdoors it looks somewhat like the flap was made out of an asbestos cement type material. So in addition to being able to provide you know a windbreak you could pull the flap up if they tried to storm you with flamethrowers and clear out your pill box

[@rstainsbury]

I think they (the pillboxes) are technically NOT the property of the landowner; they still belong to the MOD (Ministry of Defence...e.g. the Government)

[@thisbrokenmachine]

@@rstainsbury aww that would be a cool thing to renovate, hook it up to electricity and furnish with bare bones stuff like cots wooden chairs and tables...put a map up on a wall that is laminated of the surroundings so u could use dry erase markers on it. A kid would lose his mind playing war in an actual bunker.

[@sebastienc6955]

@@rstainsbury In France, bunkers will be the property of the landowner if it's not buried. If it's buried, it belongs to State since it's considered as an archeologic piece, and since you don't have the right to dig in archeological purpose. To resume, your land is yours, but not what is beneath it

[@patricelangford2723]

Your dad is like your best friend and it's awesome. I like watching the videos with both of you in them.

[@milliebanks7209]

Your Dad is a hoot! I hope that you include him in future videos of this series. Also it would be nice if you would speak more in your bush crafting videos. You both have a wonderful sense of humor! Thank you for this video and keep an eye out for the roaming spiders.

[@loragunning5394]

Your dad cracks me up. "Question is, who's on watch while we're eating?"

[@bobcharlie7982]

We used to do this as kids. We grew up on a housing estate that used to be a ww2 airfield. Loads of bunkers around the area. One of them was a battle headquaters

[@ThePizzaGuy1998]

That sounds like a dream place to grow up.

[@bobcharlie7982]

@@ThePizzaGuy1998 half of it was a council estate so not so much, but pretty cool the battle headquarters was buried under a mound and blocked off with concrete we trued to get in as kids but no chance hahaha

[@iceking2685]

Your dad is hilarious, "Oh thats pretty explosive!." Bringing glass wear... hilarious. Also thanks to all you vets and military personel and the ones with the final sacrifice, Remeberance Day here in Canada.

[@andywilliment581]

All gave some, but some gave all. We will remember them. Another great video Mike. I’m guessing none of the former residents of that pillbox had prawns in a sweet chilli sauce cooked in a wok and washed down with mulled wine. Your dads a legend.

[@ignotumperignotius630]

think the flap is asbestos for when you inevitably get hit by a flammenwerfer

[@TheSussexpillbox]

Simply for light mitigation, not for flame defence.

[@robertcole9391]

Interwoven fighting positions were designed to maxize overlaping feilds of fire. Also clearing of brush was to force your enemy into a field of view. If you could draw them all out, and looking from above, draw out the overlaping feilds of fire with brush you will see the big picture. Those folding flaps were for light discipline to make the fighitng position less likely to be seen during hours of darkness.. but fold down, so when a firefight takes place, the flap drops down easily and quickly. You'd have to have the entire place drawn on a topographical map to get the big picture of how it all works.

[@jorgthomas9750]

I like it very much that you remember the story of the second world war, especially how you do it and that in honor and memory of the brave soldiers who gave their lives to defend your country. But I also remember the people of Great Britain who also made great sacrifices to survive this difficult time. God Save you and your family.

[@pai1238]

What a great opportunity and a lesson for the future generations of your country!!

[@duggpinner3717]

Sadly future generations are encouraged to disown the past.

[@lostinthewilderness1680]

👌🏻👍🏻

[@ianmurray4081]

Awesome video. Bless your dad, he's a real character! Cheers 🍻 on this Remembrance Day from Canada 🇨🇦. Take care and stay frosty.

[@MrGoesBoom]

Seeing old places like this is always a treat. Especially when they haven't been vandalized and graffitied to death

[@thereturningshadow]

England's Rememberence Day is around the same as America's Veteran's Day. Our Veteran's Day salutes those still alive and serving in the military service. Our Memorial Day, the last Monday of May, is our remembering the fallen military from wars and battles.

[@lostinthewilderness1680]

😂

[@CliKnight]

Out standing. Your dad is the man.!! Definitely need more of these with him. That reminds me,it been more then a year. I should be off to wash my fork.. 😂

[@margaretbarclay-laughton2086]

I love your dad he so reminds me of my late dad he was still a naughty boy in his 90s. We fall over Pill boxes in Orkney They were everywhere because of the importance of Scapa Flow. your adventures with the spiders reminds me of the first and only time I decided to have a barbeque on the island. It started to rain so i lifted the barbeque into the old corrugated tin roofed shed now I am not afraid of spiders but i got out of there quicker than i went in as they dropped from the roof like a rain storm. Remembering Private David Sinclair of the Cameron Highlanders who died on the 14th september 1914 at the battle of Aisne leaving his wife with 5 young children and the one he never saw because she born on the 15th January 1915. The only gift she had from her father was her name and a letter he wrote to his wife telling her if it was a boy to give the baby his name and if it was a girl to choose the name. Thank you for this video

[@BlackWolf-di9gq]

As kids we used to play in & around the local air raid shelters. They were great to explore. Unfortunately these were demolished years later to make way for a housing estate... but i have some great memories there, & at times think back to those childhood days. The airfield opposite is still in use, but now there is talk that developers want to build on that as well. Thanks for sharing this video. Appreciate it.

[@deehox7167]

Thank you for the history on these pillboxes. Graeme did a good job of determining the age of the "bolts". Another A*

[@thereturningshadow]

It's actually pretty clean inside for an 80 year old Pill Box that has been overgrown. You'd think vines or plants would have grown into the gun holes.

[@UnstoppableTramp]

On the contrary as plants seek light

[@thereturningshadow]

@@UnstoppableTramp Wrong. I live in Sunny Florida and I have vines in my backyard constantly trying to get into my shed where inside is not so sunny.

[@rumblechick73]

@@thereturningshadow It's Florida, we're all trying to find some shade! LOL

[@markschwegler1100]

That is so amazing...I would want to camp there regularly and set it up nice but I'm sure other people would just wreck your hard work but thank you for the visit. I was very surprised to read 28,000 pillboxes, I figured maybe a few thousand total. Really cool history lesson. Thanks for that.

[@annswarmfuzzies]

Oh it’s dad! We love dad! Thank you for doing this series, both of you! 🥰

[@curiousdernhelm9665]

Thank you for making this honorable video. Thank you, Graeme, for your service. My American grandfather fought in WWII Company L ,132 Infantry Reg., 33rd Division "The Prairie Division". He made it home.

[@suewilliams7522]

Have watched you for awhile now and love your videos. I also absolutely love your dad. I want him in my family. Great job guys!

[@naturalist7022]

Haha, it's morning and I have visions of Dad still out there roaming around in circles. Hope you got out okay Graeme!

[@jimf1964]

Nice job. Great to see something like this series on remembrance week. Thankfully England was never actually invaded, so I’m guessing the cigarette buts and beer cans actually aided the authenticity. 😀. So glad to see you hamming around with your dad. Time spent with my dad was often the same. Brings back great memories.

[@kirk1968]

Thank you for this amazing video, I learned a LOT about Britain's WWII history. My grandfather served in the Army Air Corps in the Pacific theatre, so that's all I heard about growing up. So very cool to see the strategic and defensive structures constructed back then. God bless.

[@herbandspicekitchen]

This is very informative so great to go back in time. Perfect timing with today being Remembrance Day in the UK.

[@TAOutdoors]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@ronandanne1]

You and your Dad must enjoy history. You've made videos about RAF Spitfires, Viking structures, yesteryear's fishing tackle, WW2 air raid shelters, steam trains, and roof thatching. And lots of fishing and camping too! 👍

[@TAOutdoors]

We do love our history!

[@michaelnoakes8566]

It's always enjoyable watching you two together. Thanks so much for sharing this time with us here.

[@MiscMitz]

Great video. And many thanks to all those who served

[@sidneyhowardjude5284]

It’s so interesting how pieces of history such as ww2 pill boxes mostly are just forgotten and left in a state, it would be great if more examples of history were kept, and preserved. Great video 😀🔥🌲

[@bigstonks6356]

I am at work, I will come back to this at lunch ♥️

[@ltjakedunbar6733]

What a great and historic adventure. When I thought about it, I realized that those pillboxes were about as old as I am, but they are stuck in the past and had never been used for their original purpose. Gives one a perspective of things. Who owns the pillboxes and the land that they are on? I feel a camaraderie with your dad, great guy and funny. Keep him.

[@TAOutdoors]

Thank you. I’m pretty sure the Ministry of Defence still own them. Many of them are on private land or council owned land.

[@EddieOakes]

Another fantastic video! I absolutely love the dialogue and banter between your father and yourself. Very entertaining and I remain even now years later a big fan!

[@mikehaynes1769]

I believe you’d spent the night n just about anything. Thanks as always for sharing.

[@GreyBeatle]

Great video. When I went on my trip through England and on to Europe to retrace the steps of my grandfather and his 6 brothers in WWII, I got the opportunity to sleep in a few pillboxes. Was a grand experience! A real eye-opener. Glad to see I'm not the only nutter out there doing it.....lol... The greatest generation has so much to be proud of, in such hard times that costed so many lives. There was honor and sadness combined when traveling in their footsteps. Something I'll never forget. Wear your poppy's proud! Doing this on November 11th has a good amount of significance to many of us. I hope you obeyed the moment of silence at 11am. I attended a Remembrance Day Ceremony here in Kitchener, Ontario Canada on this day. With Covid19 still, a concern here and people all wearing masks, our legionnaires stood proud bearing the commonwealth colours while standing proud not wearing masks. It was a good sight to see!

[@domrumble8243]

Another cracking vid!.There is a pillbox near where I live , that has been lived in for the last 5 years by a homeless guy.I have left tins of food and a gortex jacket for the fella.

[@jerrydixon9343]

That is so kind of you! 🏆👏🏻

[@simontgreat]

Great episode. I really like the historical content you have put together for us/yourself/your little one. It would be interesting to see more of the 'forgotten' military remnants of that time lying around the fields and woods of your area. Also, some Spanish for you and your pop :) Powder = Polvo (pohl-voh) Cookie/Biscuit = Galletta (guy-yettah) Armed Forces = Fuerzas Armadas (fwerr-sas arr-mah-thas) Food = Comida (koh-mee-tha) Vegetable soup or [soup of vegetables] = sopa de verdudas (soh-pah deh verr-doo-thas) Meatballs with sauce = albondigas con guisante (ahl-bon-di-gahs kon gee-san-tehs) Hand = Mano (mah-no) For the hands = Para manos (pah-rrah mah-nohs) Cellulose paper (cheap napkin) = Papel Celulosa (pah-pehl cehl-yew-loh-sah) Mulled wine = Vino Caliente [hot wine] (vee-noh kah-lee-yehn-teh) Shrimp = Camaron (kah-mah-rrOhn) emphasis on the 'O' Lighter that doesnt work = *%#@

[@JohnWick-mt5jw]

Gambas is also another way of saying prawns

[@neilcastell6951]

they look fairly clean ... i'm on a few pillbox/ww2 defence groups on facebook, its a good source of info. Have managed to locate (and camp inside) numerous bunkers/pillboxes around my area. Interesting form of wild camping bu often its cold, especially in winter. sadly lots of them are full of rubbish or used as toilets.

[@ryanw3877]

This is cool because I like survival/bushcraft but I also love history

[@Slammo2001]

This video was on point!! Always awesome to see your old man !! Cheers from Canada !

[@j.k.photography3664]

Watching you with your Dad reminds me of adventures my siblings and i had with our Dad. We will remember.

[@naturesmagik]

You are so lucky to have a father that does things with you. Nice!

[@User15525]

Loving it already!

[@JasonMcCannLover]

Great Remembrance Day video! That is why you are at 2 million subs!!! Dad and son is great.

[@scumpert]

Thankyou for reminding us of those who gave their lives for the way we can live today...

[@tonyn3123]

Can you imagine what the sound must have been like to fire a machine(s) gun in those structures?

[@chrischristofis8501]

Have to wear ear defenders

[@robertcole9391]

Now this is Adventuring!!!! Two thumbs up my friends!

[@brianjones1151]

You really should get involved with a local WWII Reenacting group !! With your filming knowledge and talent, I could see you Reenacting 'Operation Chariot' !👍 We have a distinct lack of filming talent in the Reenacting fraternity !

[@mwe1337]

I've seen lots of these unassuming structures and gun emplacement s on tv shows out here in Australia. It shows what trouble the British went to to defend their country. We have quite a few gun emplacement s here in Australia because of Japanese invasion s. Thanks for your videos they are great.✌️

[@unclestoma4699]

this is the most badass but also historical camping trip i have ever watched

[@tammaragill9347]

Great video. I agree 100% Thank you for all our service men and women who have given their lives and continue to risk their lives for our freedom.

[@hambo6969]

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Your Dad makes me laugh so much.

[@michaelgatford6194]

Great video both of you. Your dad always has me in stitches. Hope those glasses made it home in one piece LOL What's the best MRE you've had Mike?

[@T_B]

I paused the video as your Dad is leaving for the night, after y'all tasted the wine: Your Dad is the best! I miss my father and the way we interacted, just like you two. Ok, back to the video.

[@herbsmith6871]

You're dad is a hoot! Very nice gentlemen 🤠

[@BraxxJuventa]

Thank you Mike. 👍😁

[@jaylils]

Awesome video mate, I use aeropress everyday! Much respect for those who have sacrificed their lives for us to live!

[@1986mattymatty]

Finally you just showed in my feed again. the amount of times I have rediscovered this awsome channel.

[@adamjw2301]

I miss my old man...indeed cherish those moments, stay healthy :)

[@lucas.k13]

Your dad had me in stitches. Loved this episode. Looked like a decent ration box.

[@charleswachta5010]

Definitely can see were you get your enthusiasm from it's awesome that you're able to do that with your dad

[@TheSussexpillbox]

They were not slept in, the troops would have slept outside, as well as manned trenches outside. The flaps on the loopholes are to block light from the inside, when required. This Type DFW/3 24 is curious, as the doorway is very large, and it also does not facilitate the legs for the Bren LMG tripod. Normally these are recessed into the brickwork on the inside. The canal would have been utilised as an anti-tank barrier, the bollards are there to hinder mechanised advances. The pillboxes would be continual along this anti-tank barrier, forming a 'stop line'. Stop lines are numerous around the country, and also interlink, designed to slow the advance of an invading force, to enable defenders to call mobile reserves. By 1941 these were obsolete, realising the vulnerability of castle mentality inside a static structure. I hope that helps - I am a commercial archaeologist specialising in defence works of Sussex. if I can help, drop me a line.

[@WiltshireMan]

Nice one Mike, Good job the pill box's were never used in anger. They are dark and dingy though.. Not far from where I live in Swindon is a village called "Coleshill" where they trained the English resistance (Special Operations Executive) Never seen a Spanish MRE before:) Using the Hurricane lamp was very fitting for the scene I guess thats probably the exact same lamp they would have used back in the day and as for the mulled wine, very nice... I'm going to have to buy a bottle of mulled wine now:) Sandy

[@TAOutdoors]

Haha thanks Sandy! Yes the lantern did give it a more natural lighting. Interesting to know about Coleshill. Enjoy that mulled wine :)

[@nestorsosa5881]

D

[@akehurst88]

Great video man. 👍 Soldiers gone but never forgotten ❤️

[@rlw127]

Great video. Maybe a flame thrower could be used to get rid of the spiders.

[@mmatthias2010]

Great video! I'm really enjoying the history that you're sharing with us. Especially as I live on the "other side of the pond. "

[@TAOutdoors]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@corsa701]

Very interesting! And also, how the Brits build their pillboxes. Here in Germany, they are totalle different.

[@dmtnw4480]

Thank you for sharing

[@stejoh_]

Love your dad. Great bloke. Funny as hell. Cheers from 🇸🇪

[@TAOutdoors]

Cheers Stefan!

[@dennissmeets4573]

wow ! they talk , so happy to come 2 this

[@tonyjedioftheforest1364]

Brilliant video, I love how you get on with your dad, I do miss mine and our camping adventures.

[@brianhorner6340]

Yet again, another great video!!! Always look forward to your videos even more so now when it’s from an Amazing bloke like you and it’s Bushcraft/WW2!! We Shall Never Forget!!! Ps your Dads a legend haha

[@NicMG]

Treasure these memories, good vid mate.

[@joshuajackson6442]

Thank you

[@cerethpainting6606]

This is really amazing! I’m sorry you still have relics of that very scary time, but at the same time, super cool experience!

[@thecrew777]

Glad you're "popping back to the woods" as it is a bit claustrophobic in there. Interesting to explore. How do you sleep knowing all those spiders are around?

[@TroyGabe]

Were i grew up we had niki site with Some cool bunckers and underground missile chambers and Machine gun structures structures with a long concrete paths leading to them. Tunnels and chambers all giant doors for truck to drive in they piled tons of dirt in frunt of them doors later it was turned in to a giant wine cellar.

[@lonndaniel]

I am a Swedish relatively young man who lives in a modern century where we, it must be admitted, are doing quite well. I live in Sweden. And in a modern world, I am a proud Swede. Historically, it is a completely different matter. Sweden was a country that made concessions to the Germans, the German Armed Forces, not least in the permits for permit traffic that went through our country to the occupied Norway. The moral of this can be discussed, of course, either we were spineless, or smart who kept us out of the war. Britain, however, did not have that luck. I am amazed, sad, and respectful of your country, where people fought and died to defeat this evil and helped end Europe's disastrous years of suffering and death. It is nothing but honorable and let it be remembered forever.

[@Mat-kr1nf]

I have two sets of drawers that were my dad’s, when he was a kid, in the early 1930s. The handles had square nuts holding them in place, have some earlier ones with square nuts on. Definitely fits in for being original to at least the 2nd world war,

[@speedygonzales9993]

Yeah, there are a few small pillboxes from WWII still left in Singapore, but they are pretty much sealed off. Remembrance/Veterans' Day stealth camping & picnic in a WWII pillbox. Awesome!

[@cenedraleaheldra5275]

Brilliant and appreciate the info on the history. Thanks

[@SeraphimKnight]

Good choice of MRE! The spanish ones are usually really high-quality stuff as far as MREs go.

[@TAOutdoors]

It was decent!

[@Cardbordboxonfire]

I wish I had pillboxes like this in my woods

[@Marc_Gagne]

Me too

[@naturalist7022]

You've done it, many congratulations on reaching 2M! Well deserved, Mike

[@eunhyuekpark6159]

Another great adventure my dood. You are your pops make a great team. Love all the video's you guys share with us.

[@historycollecting6361]

Super cool, hope to visit the UK sometime and see all the amazing History!!!

[@marcomcdowell8861]

May you and your family stay well.

[@bobclark7211]

Very cool experience with your dad! What a neat opportunity to explore

[@danielmartin4756]

Great video Mike. That brought back some memories. My best mate at 6th Form and I celebrated New Years Eve 1999 in at a Pill Box near my house. With Chicken Drumsticks dipped in Vindaloo sauce washed down with a few beers. Finished off with Brandy and a cigar each.

[@mcoppock214]

How lovely, spending a great time with your dad.good job you had a cott

[@ericnorsman9203]

Another fabulous post gentlemen thank you both. Now more than ever we must remember the horrors faced and the sacrifices made by those brave men and women of Great Britain who chose to fight 'to the death if need be' for all they held sacred, our Queen and country our freedoms our identity and our culture! We must always honour and remember them.. or we are lost?!

[@davep5972]

So cool when you do videos with your dad he’s awesome! Great video

[@warmachinex81]

love the father/son videos - your old man's commentary is brilliant

[@barneythebear5179]

Your dad is a character 🤣 Cherish those moments ❤